As the 2026 World Baseball Classic nears, the tournament will showcase non-MLB players to international audiences. Samurai Japan includes more MLB-affiliated talent than ever, but NPB stars remain key figures to monitor. Veteran pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, 34, makes his Samurai Japan debut, bringing steady leadership.
Past WBCs introduced global fans to Japanese stars like Roki Sasaki, Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, and Kenta Maeda. This edition features prominent NPB players including pitchers Ryuhei Sotani, Atsuki Taneichi, Hiromi Ito, Shota Morishita, and Hiroya Miyagi; infielder Shugo Maki; and catcher Teruaki Sato.
Kikuchi shook off early exhibition jitters and is poised to contribute on and off the field. Manager Hirokazu Ibata sees him filling a role akin to Yu Darvish in the 2023 WBC, where Darvish pitched two innings in the quarterfinals against Italy and relieved in the championship game. Darvish is absent this time.
These NPB standouts have the potential to captivate fans worldwide during the tournament.